


Called Out

by LaLainaJ



Series: Make Some Noise [183]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Future Fic, Jealousy, No Magical Babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23865109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLainaJ/pseuds/LaLainaJ
Summary: While having an emotional crisis outside of a bar, the last person Caroline wants to see is the somehow alive Kol Mikaelson.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Series: Make Some Noise [183]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/338125
Comments: 5
Kudos: 173





	Called Out

**Called Out**

**(Prompt: “Oh, you’re jealous!” Rated T.)**

Caroline’s got her back pressed to a brick wall, barely aware of the people passing in front of her. It’s not like her – she’d touched down in New York City three days ago and has been hungrily absorbing every new sight and sound. At the moment, she’s having a pretty intense personal crisis.

She and Klaus have been chasing down separate leads for the last few hours. When she’d walked into the restaurant they’d planned to meet in, found him leaning against the bar, in full flirt mode, the punch of jealousy she’d felt had her flight instincts kicking into high gear.

Practicality had kept her from going too far. Klaus is doing her a favor; she needs to know what he’s found out today. She just needs a minute (or twelve) to collect herself. A drink might help, but that would mean going back inside.

When someone pauses in front of her, Caroline keeps her head tipped up. She’s hoping they’ll move along (she can’t be polite to a good samaritan right now, will totally eat a creep). A vaguely familiar voice exclaims, “Hey, I know you. Long way from Mystic Falls, aren’t you, darling?”

She jerks in surprise when she spots Kol Mikaelson in front of her. Without thinking, Caroline reaches out and pokes his chest. He’s warm and solid under what’s probably an exorbitantly expensive t-shirt. She knows ghosts are a thing; she hadn’t known Kol wasn’t one of them.

Kol traps her hand, keeps it pressed to his chest with a smirk, “Why Miss Forbes, that’s awfully forward of you. Nik’ll fly into quite a tantrum if we steal away. Sounds fun.”

“How are you not dead?” Caroline asks, ignoring the rest of Kol’s speech. Klaus has told her a few stories over the years in which Kol appears. Caroline’s gotten the impression that Kol enjoys the sound of his own voice too much.

He releases her, rocks back on his heels. “Did my brother fail to mention that feat? It happened ages ago, not long after he left your sad little town.”

Caroline’s mouth falls open, and a quick flash of anger pushes the jealousy aside. She’d thought she and Klaus had become friends in the years since she’d first made a trip to New Orleans. That time she’d needed his help, but she’d gone back (and had met up with Klaus in other locations) dozens of times since. Maybe she’d misconstrued things if he hadn’t bothered to mention something as significant as the resurrection of a member of his family.

“He’s given me free rein since. I’ve been traveling, and unbothered save for the odd check-in and reminder not to make myself conspicuous. It’s been bliss.”

“Huh,” Caroline says. Not exactly eloquent, but she’s processing.

“I only had to agree not to remove Elena Gilbert’s pretty head from her shoulders. Nik thought it would upset you.”

Kol’s casual revelations are so not helping Caroline’s emotional turmoil. “Um, obviously.”

He makes a noise of disgust. “She’s the _worst_ doppelganger.”

“Katherine smothered me with a pillow so. Hard disagree.”

Kol opens his mouth – probably to counter – and Caroline has no desire to get sucked into an argument that’s sure to be ridiculous. “What are you doing here?”

He sighs, long and exaggerated, “Nik commanded my presence. Coaxing witches into helping with impossible situations is a bit of a specialty of mine.”

It’s impossible to miss the lewd undertone. Caroline wrinkles her nose. “Ew.”

“Don’t knock it till you try it.” Kol’s eyes sharpen, his head tipping to the side as he glances from her to the door. “Why are you skulking out here? Nik’s inside, according to his last message. Feigning off the advances of a witch we can’t currently piss off.”

“Ha, didn’t look like feigning to me,” Caroline mutters. Wishes she hadn’t immediately after because her bitterness had been palpable. Kol’s impressively self-absorbed, but he’s not an idiot.

“Ohhh,” he drawls, the syllable drawn out and dripping with glee. “You’re jealous.”

Caroline bites back a denial – she’s sure it will only encourage Kol.

“Nik will be tickled when I tell him. It’s a bit pathetic how he’s jumped to help you with your problems over the years. But it’s paid off and far sooner than he’d anticipated.”

Caroline doesn’t have the will power to swallow her offense. “Excuse me, I’ve asked Klaus for exactly _three_ favors. In fourteen years.”

And yeah, maybe they’d been _kind_ of big. But the problems hadn’t _really_ even been hers. Klaus had helped her and Bonnie break the spell Kai had placed on Elena. He’d called off the demand that the doppelganger to be brought to him, allowing Elena and Damon to have a sickeningly perfect white picket fence life.

And now he’s helping her find a way for Bonnie to be immortal and keep her magic.

“That’s three more favors than he’s granted anyone else. He’s only ever helpful when he’s got something to gain.”

“Maybe he’s growing as a person.”

Kol laughs at that. Loudly. Several people on the street look over in interest. He shakes his head, “You’re adorably optimistic.”

“Two of my best qualities.”

She’s also not a coward.

Caroline pushes off from the wall, smooths her hands over her dress. She’d bought it today, and it’s freaking fantastic – blue and clingy, tiny straps and a low back. She’d privately wondered about Klaus’ reaction to the dress in the fitting room, might have drifted off into an idle fantasy about how easily it could be torn away.

Kol’s watching her, amused. “Do you not want him to know about the jealousy then?”

She’s fairly certain Klaus will be able to tell – he’s always been annoyingly good at reading her, even when he’d barely known her, and she’d done her damndest to hide from him.

Caroline practices a smile. She hopes it’ll at least fool whatever contacts they’re trying to cajole tonight. “I’m sure we’ll discuss it later.”

“I’m glad I’m staying at a different hotel. Something tells me you’ll get _loud_.”

Caroline ignores the innuendo. “Let’s go in.”

“Ladies first.”

Caroline glares though she’s not actually annoyed, “So you can stare at my ass?”

“Isn’t that why you picked the dress?”

He may have a point. It’s petty - one of her worst qualities, Caroline’s made her peace with it – but maybe she can distract Klaus with a little jealousy of his own.

The crowd inside the bar is thicker than it had been earlier, and Kol sticks close behind her as they weave towards where Klaus now is. He’s commandeered the best booth in the place. Kol’s hand lands on her back, in a respectful place, surprisingly. “I’m going to go get a drink. Try not to be in a compromising position when I return, hmm?”

He’s gone before she can snap back a reply.

Klaus is alone, now. Caroline’s relieved, doesn’t bother to try to deny it, even internally.

Progress.

Klaus slips out when Caroline approaches, rests a hand on her hip while he brushes his mouth across her cheek in greeting. “Did you have a productive day, love?”

She loops her arms over his shoulder, keeps him close. Klaus goes rigid for a scant moment – she’s never hugged him before. “I did,” she murmurs. “I’ll tell you all about it. But first, I ran into your brother outside. Is there a reason you never mentioned you’d brought Kol back?”

Caroline pulls away so she can see his face, and Klaus is genuinely confused. “Did I not?”

“I would have remembered that.”

He lifts a shoulder, “I can’t imagine why it’s never come up. I should have thought it would be obvious – I wasn’t about to leave him dead when I had the means to bring him back.”

It’s such an arrogant statement, and _so_ Klaus. She can’t even be annoyed. Of course he’d casually break the laws of life and death and not think it worth mentioning. He’s Klaus Mikaelson – most powerful being in the world.

A laugh bubbles out of her and she can’t resist hugging him again. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a little ridiculous?”

“No one who lived,” Klaus says mildly. He returns the embrace tentatively, his hands skimming and then stuttering to a stop when her dress stops and her skin begins.

“I guess I’m lucky you like me.” She watches his eyes darken, and his mouth open. Caroline brushes past Klaus before he can respond.

They have business first. Caroline can see how the next few minutes will play out if Klaus were to refute that his regard for her is as simple as _like_. He’s got a gift for perfect tempting words. She’s always had trouble resisting the way he looks at her – like their alone even when there are a hundred other people nearby. Caroline’s about ninety-five percent of the way to admitting that her feelings are more significant too. She knows she’s got decisions to make. She remembers how freaking good Klaus can make her feel, even if the one time they’d indulged they’d been crunched for time and in a less than ideal location.

Without a quick subject change, they’ll end up providing Kol with blackmail fodder.

She snags his hand, keeps it even when they’ve slid into the booth. Klaus seems fine with how much she’s touching him, has taken it upon himself to return the favor. He brushes her hair back, his fingers lingering on the strap of her dress.

Caroline’s sure it’ll end up snapped by the end of the night, and she’s not mad about it.


End file.
